BOO! It’s a Bestseller! Plus: 2-Word Conversations
Monday, Surviving the Horror of Online Meetings had its big launch. Now, it’s a #1 Amazon Bestseller. This blew away all my expectations. Thank YOU for making this happen!
As a special thanks just for you for subscribing to Survival Tips, I’m sharing something that’s not in the book.
2-Word Conversations
Put participants into breakout groups of two or three people. Instruct them to have a conversation using only two-word sentences. When choosing a topic, vacations and hobbies make for easy conversations and build connections.
A 2-Word Conversation might go something like this:
You first?
Sure thing.
Where to?
Well, Hawaii!
Ooo, nice!
Yeah, right?!
What year?
In 2018.
Big island?
Just Oahu.
Eat well?
Sort of.
How so?
Good barbecue.
But not…?
Not poi!
2-Word Conversations hit all the marks for good online energizers:
It connects people with each other at a human level and builds trust. In this case, sharing a fond personal experience.
It provides a low-stakes opportunity for participants to practice using technology features they’ll need later in the meeting. In this case, participants practice using breakout rooms, using webcams, and speaking up.
It reinforces the Experience and the primes the participants’ mindset. In this case, it primes participants to actively listen, practice inquiry, communicate intentionally and succinctly, and deal with ambiguity through a little improv.
If you like 2-Word Conversations and want to credit the source, my daughter Claire came up with it.
An Energizer is purposeful play that connects people, reinforces relationships, builds trust, and creates psychological safety. Art by Mark Monlux. Used with permission.